Draft appliance.



A. P. MCKAY. -D'RAFT APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I, 1915.

Ll, Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

1 Y 104 l, ,l Zjaggl l 1,42 V f-y, A n I 1 En s'rarns iwrnnr onirica AUG-"USTA IP. MUKAY, OF ROME, J('srlllORGllA, ASSIGNOR TO 'MGKAY DISC PLOW CO., OF

i ROME, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M313 211 1916,

Application 1ed July 7, 1915. Serial No. 38,494.

Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Appliances ,fand

' I do hereby declare the following to be a pliance of full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

The present invention relates to improvements in,draft appliances, and consists more particularly in an improved draft appliance designed especially for use in coupling plows, harvesters, or other implements to .traction vehicles, although it willbe understoodthat the invention. is not limited to such use but maybe employed'in other connections. v

It is an object of the present invention t0 provide an improved draft appliance which will normally form a rigid coupling between the traction vehicle andl implement, but

which will be automatically released to uncouple the saine when the implement en-, counters an obstruction of such a character as to result in the breakage of parts. t

i A further object of the present invention resides in providingnan improved draft apthe above character ywhich will e ysimple in construction, readily` coupled -between the implement and traction'v engine,

and whichcan be regulated-to release when subjected to strain of a predetermined amount.

With theseand other objects in View the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of. parts more hereinafter disclosed and particularlyfully pointed out in the claims. e y

i In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a top plan-view, partly in section, of an improved draft appliance constructed in accordance withithe present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the saine, partly in section, and withone member of the frame removed. Fig. 3 isa similar view.

illustrating the parts in partially released position when subjected to strain; and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4 4 1n Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the aI'I'OWS. Y

Referring more *particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate a pair of members constituting the frame of the improved draft apphance, and being connected at their rear .ends by a bolt 3. A pair of plates 4 and 5 are clamped over the rear ends of the members 1 and 2 and are connected together by a bolt 6, disposed between said members, and by' bolts 7 and' 8 embracing the sides. of the same. A bolt 9 isy mounted between the outer ends of the members 4 and 5 for connection to a clevis or other device on `a plow, harvester or the like implement to be drawn.

The forward ends of the frame members 1 and 2 are connected in spaced relation by a pair of bolts 10 and 11, arranged to receive a hook or bill l2 ona coupling element 13.V The coupling element 13 is advantageously of the general configuration more particularly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and is arranged to be coupled at its forward end byc a chain or other connection 14, through which the draft is exerted from the traction vehicle.

In the frame members 1 and 2, to the rear of the bolts 10 and 11, is` provided a fulcrum 15 for loose engagement by the. for- Ward end of a lever 16 connected by links 17 to the rear end of the coupling element 13.

At its rear end the lever 16 is shaped to provide a hook 18, normally in engagement with an eye 19 bent from a rod 20 mounted l to reciprocateV vertically in a support 21.

A Therod 20 is threaded at its upper end, as

clearly shown in the drawings, to receive an adjusting' nut 22, between which latter and the support 21 is confinada coil spring 23 normally maintaining said rod in the elevated position disclosed in Fig.v 2. In the operation ofthe improved draft appliance, the `parts arer normally inthe position as indicated in Fig. 2, the frame being connected through the pin `9 to the implement and the coupling element 13 coupled to the traction vehicle by the chain 14. In such position the improved appliance forms a rigid connection `beta-'een the traction vehicle andA implement, and may be readily coupled and uncoupled through the pin 9. In the 'event of the implement e'ncounterin an obstruction, such as a stump, rock, or t e like, the strain ,exerted 'through the chain 14 on the coupling element 13, and normallyIT i acting to revolve said coupling element about the bolt 10 as a center, will, through the links 17, draw the lever 16 about the fulcrum 15 from the position shown in Fig.v 2 to that shown in Eig. 3. This movement operates to compress thel spring 23 and, provided the strain is greater than the tension for which the spring is set, the lever 16 may be drawn down sufficiently far to permit the hooklS to disengage the eye 19 on the rod 20. When such disengagement is effected the lever 16, links 17 and coupling element 13 will drop by gravity, assisted by the pull on chain 14, and will revolve said coupling element 13 around the center 10 until the hook 12 disengages the same, when the associated parts will be entirely released from connection with'the drawn implement.

It will be understood that the spring 23 may be' subjected to any desired tension` whereby the amount of strain required to voperate the releasable parts may be regulated. The bill 12,01'1 the coupling element 13 may be readily rengaged with the bolts `10 and 11, andthe lever 16 restored to position pivoting on the fulcrum l5 and with its hook 18 rra-inserted in the eye 19 of the rod 20, and the improved appliance will be found assembled for subsequent use.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features exceptas may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. In an improved draft appliance of the character described, the combination of a frame connected to one vehicle,

a coupling element connected" to the other vehicle and detachably mounted at one'end thereof in said frame, means detachably connecting the fother end of said coupling element inthe frame,'and yieldable means associated with said last-named means for normally main- -taining the same in coupled position, substantially as described.

2. In an improved draft appliance of the character described, the combination of a frame connected toone vehicle, a coupling element connected to the other vehicle and detachably mounted at its forward end in said frame to swing to release therefrom, means detachably connecting the rear end of said coupling element in the frame, and detachable means permanently supported on said frame and detachably engaging said last-named means to maintain the coupling element in coupled position and normally preventing same from swinging about its forward end to 'become detachedfrom said frame, substantially as described.

3. In an--improved draft appliance of the character described, the combination of a frameadaptcd for connection to one vehicle,

means connecting said lever and the other end of said coupllng element for holding the same against detachment from the frame, a movable rod on said frame, releasable connections between said rod and lever, and yieldable means for maintainingsaid rod in position to engage said lever, substantially as described.

4e In an improved draft appliance of the character described, the `combination of a frame adapted for connection to the drawn implement,- a coupling element mounted for release'in said frame and connected to Ithe traction vehicle,d a' lever detachably fulcrumed in said frame means connecting said lever and coupling element, a movable rod on said frame, releasable connections between said rod and lever, yieldable means for maintaining said rod in position to engage said lever, and means for adjusting the tenl sion of saidyieldable means, as described. v

5.' In an improved draft appliance, the combination of a frame coupled to one vehicle, a coupling element detachably fitted in said frame and mounted to swing to disengage the same, a connection between the other vehicle and said coupling element for exerting a tendency to revolve and detach the latter, a fulcrum in said frame, a lever detachably pivoting on said fulcrum, link connections between 'said lever and coupling element, a hook on saidlever, and yieldable means detachably engaging the hookon said lever for normally holding thel coupling elesubstantially ment in coupled position in opposition to` substantially as said coupling' element for tending to swing the latter to disengage the bill from said socket, a

connection between the other vehicle and'1l5v socket and detach said coupling element` from the'frame, lever detachably link connections rear end of said coupling element, an open hook'on said lever', and yieldablemeans detachably engaging 'theo open hook on lsaid lever fornormally maintainingthe coupling element 1n coupled position a ainst the inluence .of sind connection, su stantially as described; 7. A draft appliance includin composed of a pair oifrelongatedg a fulcrum in said frame, a pivotmg on said fulcrum,

a framer members,

between said lever and the means for securing said members together at their rear ends, means for coupling the rear end of said frame to one vehicle, a pair of spaced bolts for connecting the forward ends of said frame in spaced relation, a coupling element, a bill on the forward end of said coupling element detachably fitted between said bolts, a connection between the Vehicle and said coupling element exerting a 10 tendency to revolve the latter to disengage the bill from said bolts, means fitted in and detachable from said frame and connected to uphold the rear end of the coupling element, and yieldable means engaging Said lastnamed means to normally maintain the parts 15 in coupled position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

AUGUSTA P. MOKAY. 

